A Matter of Time
by obsessedwithstabler
Summary: "Just a flat," she explained quietly. He was almost six feet tall, ruggedly handsome and wore a pair of holey, faded jeans. A sleeveless biker jacket lay over a dirty white t-shirt, giving her an enviable view of muscular arms and a well-defined chest. Extending a dirty, scraped up hand, he said, "I'm Daryl."


I've done this once or twice in my Love Bites story, but here's another try. This is a songfic for Terri Clark's song, She Didn't Have Time, and it's an AU story in which Ed left Carol when Sophia was a baby. Different characters make appearances, and I tried to keep this as in character as possible. Depending on the response, I could turn this into a WIP story. Enjoy, everyone, and please remember to review!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

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This couldn't be happening.

Standing on the porch of her home, the home they had built together, Carol Peletier felt tears roll down her cheeks. "Ed…"

Her husband, Ed, carried a dufflebag slung over his shoulder. A look of grim determination was clear on his rugged face as he turned to face her.

_He's no good, Carol_, her mother had tried to warn her when she first began dating Ed. He had been dark, mysterious and dangerous, just what she was looking for. Both of her parents had begged her not to get involved with him, but she had been too headstrong and determined to do what she wanted to. No one would control her life but her.

And look where that attitude had gotten her.

"I'm no good for you, Carol. We both know it." His voice was curt and lacking of any remorse or indecision.

She wanted to ask, _Why couldn't you have realized this before you asked me to marry you_? But her mouth wouldn't work. So she stood there, helpless.

In her heart, she knew he was right. His anger had been getting the best of him lately, and as a nurse, she had seen the results all too often of a husband or boyfriend's rage. Broken bones, bruises, contusions, death… Maybe this really was for the best.

_She wasn't the only one she had to think about anymore._

_He said goodbye from the edge of the porch_

_Like she'd been some casual friend_

_He said, "You're better off without me, I'm not what you need."_

_Like her mama had said about him_

Ed opened the trunk of his car and threw his bag into it. They didn't possess much in the world, but Carol couldn't help noticing how he had not taken a single picture of them.

Was he really and truly so willing to erase them from his life and memory?

Slamming the trunk shut, Ed looked back at the porch. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "You'll be better off now. You'll see."

Carol wasn't so sure.

He watched her for another moment before sliding a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. Then he got into the driver's seat and closed the door. The car's engine roared to life a moment later.

She watched as he backed away from the house and onto the gravel road. Everything inside of her begged her to run, to stop him. How could she do this alone? Maybe he had a temper, but an angry husband had to be better than no husband. At least, that was what her parent's marriage had taught her. Maybe that was why her mother had tried to warn her when she first started dating Ed. Maybe her mother had seen all of this coming, and Carol was just too wrapped up in her first love to see the blinding truth.

As she watched the taillights slowly disappear in the early evening air, Carol felt a new sense of loneliness creeping up in her heart. Surely even a stranger would have shown more compassion than her husband just had.

For a while she just stood there, as though she expected him to turn around at any second. But he never did, and she felt so very lost.

_He started the car, pulled out of the drive_

_Didn't waste any time looking back_

_She watched him go, thinking even a stranger_

_Would show more compassion than that_

A soft cry broke Carol out of her own misery, and she hurried back into the house. In the middle of the room was a small pink cradle, and the sight of it took away the pain Ed had inflicted on her.

"Oh, baby…" Leaning over the cradle, Carol lifted her sweet little three month old daughter, Sophia, into her arms and snuggled her close. "We don't need him," she whispered.

Sophia looked up at her with big blue eyes, and Carol had to smile. She had suffered three miscarriages and one stillbirth before she was finally blessed with Sophia. Sophia had been her saving grace so many times in the past year, and Carol knew what a blessing her little daughter was. So if Ed felt like he really had to go, then she would let him go.

At least she had Sophia.

_She could have cried, but she didn't have time_

_She had a baby to feed, a pink blanket to find_

_To rock their little one to sleep_

_She could have laid in bed for hours_

_Giving misery the power_

_But she didn't have time_

Shortly after Ed left, Carol made some major changes in her life. She went back to work as a nurse at the hospital close to her home, she hired a babysitter for Sophia, and she completely reinvented her life. It was hard work and a constant struggle just keeping food on the table, but she managed it.

She found the perfect babysitter in Beth Greene. Beth was a sweet girl with an older sister and older stepbrother, and she was always willing to come on short notice when Carol had to pick up an extra shift at the hospital. Sophia had taken to her immediately, which put Carol at ease knowing her baby liked Beth.

By the time Sophia was five, Carol's life finally had gained some sense of routine. She had been promoted when Sophia was two, and again last year. It was more work, but it meant more money for them. Carol could afford all the things Sophia wanted to do, like piano lessons and ballet. Sophia was growing up so fast, and Carol wanted to be able to give everything to her sweet baby girl.

Friday nights were the best for Carol. Since she worked doubles during the week, when she got home on Friday evening, she could spend the whole weekend with Sophia. She always loved coming through the door after work. Sophia would be waiting for her with a hug and stories of everything she had done at school and with Beth. It hurt her to know how much of Sophia's life she was missing, but she always reminded herself that she was doing it to give Sophia everything.

One Friday she came home particularly tired. Sophia was waiting when Carol opened the door, and she smiled as Sophia flew into her arms and hugged her tightly. Carol dropped to her knee and kissed Sophia's forehead, sadly noting that Sophia had somehow grown another inch while she wasn't looking.

"Hey, Carol," Beth called from the couch.

"Hi, Beth. How was she tonight?"

"Fantastic as always." Beth stood up and pulled her jacket on, then gathered her school books. "I have to get going. Hot date tonight."

Carol quirked an eyebrow. "Anyone I know?"

Beth giggled. "He's a classmate. His name is Jimmy."

"Beth likes Jimmy," Sophia sang, dancing around the floor.

"Sophia!" Carol scolded. Beth waved a hand.

"It's fine. I happen to know that Sophia likes a boy, too."

Sophia froze in place, her little hands clasped over her mouth.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Carol looked at her daughter expectantly. "Oh?"

"Yeah." Beth winked and Sophia stomped her foot. "His name is Carl, and he's an older man. Six."

"Beth!" Sophia squealed indignantly.

Beth laughed and Carol joined her, but she couldn't help the sadness that tugged at her heart. How could she go on missing so much in Sophia's world?

A few minutes later Beth was gone. Carol gave Sophia her bath and tucked her into bed, then watched Sophia sleep for a few minutes. She was changing every day, and Carol was missing it. With a sad smile, she kissed Sophia's forehead.

"I love you, baby girl."

_She got a sitter and she got a job_

_Cause she had a promise to keep_

_Her day was a factory and evening survival_

_At night was exhaustion and sleep_

"You need to meet someone!"

Carol sighed at Maggie's exuberant statement. The young redhead had been hired onto the nursing staff at Carol's recommendation, and they had become good friends. She had met Maggie shortly after Beth began babysitting Sophia, and when Maggie graduated college, she needed a job. She was an excellent nurse, but she could be a little pushy and opinionated when it came to Carol's love life, or lack of one.

"Maggie, we've talked about this. I don't have the time."

Maggie waved a hand dismissively. "I know the perfect guy. His name's Shane, he's a sheriff's deputy, and he looks very good in that uniform."

"If he's so great, then why don't you date him?" Carol shot back.

"Because I have Glenn." A dreamy look came into Maggie's green eyes at the mere mention of the friendly Asian boy.

"Right. Young love."

"You can find someone, Carol! Someone who likes kids and who'll sweep you off your feet."

"Ed swept me off my feet," she reminded Maggie quietly. "Look what happened there."

"Ed was a bastard. You and Sophia are better off without him."

_Better off without him_… How many times had she heard that before, from relatives, friends, and herself? "You're right, Maggie. I am better off without him."

"Exactly!"

"I'm also better off alone."

Maggie sighed and pulled Carol into a hug. "Someone is going to come along and change that," the young girl said with complete certainty. "I just know it."

"Then you have more faith than I do."

"I have enough faith for both of us."

Somehow, Carol believed that.

_Sometimes she felt life was passing her by_

_And watching was all she could do_

_Her friends said, "You gotta get out of the house_

_And maybe you'll meet someone new."_

When she got home that night and put Sophia to bed, Carol crawled into her own bed and stared up at the ceiling for a long time.

Maybe Maggie was right. Maybe she needed to put herself out there and start dating again. Not every man was like Ed. Not every man out there would hurt her. But then there was Sophia, and Carol had to put her first. What man would be willing to tolerate that?

None that she knew of.

With a resigned sigh, Carol rested her head on the pillow and closed her eyes.

Sleep was long in coming.

_She could have tried, but she didn't have time_

_She had a five year old to feed_

_She had ballet classes, piano lessons and t-ball, little league_

_She could have laid awake for hours_

_Giving lonely nights the power_

_But she didn't have time_

After asking Beth to come over a little early, Carol went on her usual Saturday shopping trip. With Beth, she had more flexibility to do things, but there was also her job to consider. So she made it a point to do her shopping every Saturday morning.

She left that morning after giving Sophia a hug and a kiss and promising to bring her back a new coloring book. Beth just smiled and wave, and Carol was gone.

Once she had completed all of her shopping, Carol took her bags to the car and unlocked the door. As she placed the groceries in the backseat, she noticed one of her tires didn't look right. Frowning, she closed the door and kicked the tire. A groan of displeasure erupted from her throat.

The damn thing was flat.

Maggie had warned her to learn how to change a tire, but Carol had been putting it off and now look where she was. Crouching down, she rested a hand on the tire.

"Need a hand?"

She swung her head upward, shielding her eyes with her hand. Piercing blue eyes stared back at her. Slowly rising to her feet, she motioned to the tire. "Just a flat," she explained quietly.

He was almost six feet tall, ruggedly handsome and wore a pair of holey, faded jeans. A sleeveless biker jacket lay over a dirty white t-shirt, giving her an enviable view of muscular arms and a well-defined chest.

Extending a dirty, scraped up hand, he said, "I'm Daryl."

Carol hesitated before placing her hand in his. "Carol."

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, and Carol's knees wobbled.

"Do ya have a spare in the trunk?"

_Not time, where would she find the time_

_To trust a man again?_

_Not time for that flat tire_

_A crowded parking lot and then_

Thankfully she did have a spare tire in the trunk, and within just a few minutes Daryl had removed the flat and replaced it with the spare. Once it was securely in place, he stood up again and motioned to the tire. "All fixed."

"Thank you so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate this." Carol reached into her purse. "How much do I owe you?"

He held up a hand, and Carol could have sworn she saw just the smallest bit of disappointment in his glittering eyes. "No charge, ma'am. Happy to do it."

Her hand hesitated on her purse. "Well, at least let me buy you a cup of coffee."

There went that little smirk again. "Alright."

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting at a table in a small, cozy café. As they enjoyed their coffee and made small talk, she couldn't help noticing he wasn't wearing a wedding ring. Why did it matter? There was no way a handsome, clearly hardworking man like him could be single. The universe wouldn't be that kind to her.

Daryl set his coffee cup down and smiled shyly at her. "So, you're a nurse."

"Mm hmm."

"I'm a mechanic. Gonna open up my own garage one day."

A mechanic… It certainly explained the dirty clothes and messy appearance. "That's fantastic. Must be a lot of work."

His cheeks flushed slightly at the praise. "It is, but I enjoy it."

"It's important to enjoy what you do."

"You're the first woman I've met who gets it," he declared, picking up his coffee again. "I… it's nice."

Carol just smiled and settled her hands in front of her.

"You got any kids?"

_Not time but yes have coffee with the man_

_Who got her tire fixed_

_She was thinking, gosh, he's handsome_

_When he asked, "Do you have kids?"_

There it was, the question she had been half-expecting him to ask for a while now. The handful of dates she'd had since Ed left all ended badly when it came to the subject of children. Either they had their own and didn't want any more, or they didn't have kids and didn't relish the idea of raising some other guy's kid. Either way, the date always ended shortly after and she never got so much as a call back from the guy.

For a brief moment, she considered lying to him. They could have a brief fling and she could get on with her life with him none the wiser.

But as she sat there, looking into his cerulean eyes, she couldn't bring herself to lie to him.

"She's five," was all she said before she lowered her head and waited for some flimsy excuse about a prior commitment that would send him running from her as fast as possible.

But the excuse never came.

Instead he leaned over the table and met her eyes. "I saw the carseat in the back," he murmured. "I really like kids."

Carol's heart began to lift. "Really?"

Daryl nodded and gently brushed her hair back. "Does she have your pretty eyes?"

A tearful smile touched her face as his thumb lightly brushed over her cheek.

_She could have lied, but she didn't have time_

_All she said was, "She's five."_

_He said, "I saw the carseat, I love kids_

_Does she have your eyes?"_

"Her name is Sophia."

"Sophia." He repeated the name, rolling it over his tongue as though testing it out. "That's real pretty."

Finally relaxing, Carol sat back in her chair. "I named her for my grandmother."

Daryl nodded. "Never had kids of my own. M'brother's too much of a handful by himself." He rubbed his hand over his scruffy chin. "Always wanted 'em, though."

Carol smiled shyly when he placed his hand over hers. They spent the next few hours just talking. The coffee turned into lunch, and lunch turned into dinner. She had never enjoyed the company of a man so much, not even with Ed.

After dinner, Daryl walked her back to her home. She had called Beth and Maggie earlier in the afternoon, delighting them both when she informed them she wouldn't be home for a while. Maggie had agreed to pick Carol's car up and Beth said she would keep Sophia for as long as Carol needed her to, much to Carol's relief.

When they reached Carol's front steps, they stopped and looked at each other.

"Thank you, Daryl."

He looked confused. "For what?"

Carol laughed. "For fixing my tire, for the best afternoon I've had in years…"

He kicked at the ground absently. "Yeah, well… I had a good time, too."

"I'm glad."

He lifted his head again, and Carol ran her tongue lightly over her bottom lip. They moved at the same time, and a surge of delight went through Carol when his lips touched hers.

"Woo hoo! Get some, Carol!"

They broke apart at Maggie's cheer, and Carol glared at Maggie while Daryl backed up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Maggie, get back in the house!"

Maggie laughed and ducked back inside, pulling the door closed behind her.

"Sorry," Carol apologized. "She's the sister of Sophia's babysitter, and-"

Her explanation was cut off when he kissed her again.

_And they sat and talked for hours_

_Giving destiny its power_

_She could have been afraid to fall in love that night_

_But she didn't have time_

"Daryl!"

Daryl came downstairs at the sound of his wife's voice. "Yeah?"

Carol looked up at her husband of six years. "Something's going on." She motioned to the T.V.

He came over to her and looked at the broadcast being played on the screen. People were screaming and there was blood everywhere on the home video being played. Something was terribly wrong.

After the broadcast, Daryl looked at her. "Go get Hunter's stuff. I'll get Sophia."

Carol nodded and rushed upstairs to collect their son and fill his diaperbag. By the time they were packed, Daryl was waiting downstairs with Sophia. He ushered their little family out to his truck. His bike was in the bed, and while Carol got the children buckled in, he threw their bags into the back. Then he kissed Carol before they climbed into the truck and took off for Atlanta.

_She could have been afraid to fall in love that night_

_But she didn't have time_

The End.


End file.
